Tuesday, August 10, 2010

On optional citizenship

I suppose it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that the Bloc's attempt at a compromise on the census effectively involves separatism on an individual scale, seeking to facilitate an opt-out of the long form census in exchange for forfeiting federal services and rights that go with Canadian citizenship.

But let's note that such a scheme would itself raise something far closer to a real privacy issue than what the Cons have pretended to rely on a few excuses ago. After all, in order to put such a plan into effect, Statistics Canada would have to compile a list of those who refused to fill out the long form and share it with all federal departments who might potentially provide services - making for a drastic change from its usual fierce protection of information that makes the Cons' objections wrong-headed in the first place.